A WORD FROM OUR ACTING CHAIR

Kia ora koutou katoa,

 I trust this newsletter finds everyone well, despite the cooler temperatures, rain snow and icy roads and resultant weather events that have isolated many parts of the country - and this is all on top of the current school holidays and planned getaways.

 Update - I am pleased to share with you that the Association has received a response from the Right Honourable Minister Penk, supporting an industry led proposal to establish a National IQP Register for IQPs - and so now the hard work really begins. The Association is committed to trying to raise the standards and consistency in the compliance space, and we all need to take some ownership on this to make this a reality. A note of thanks must go to Trent as the Associations CEO for progressing this, noting the direction for change has come from you - our members, supported by your hard-working management committee.

 In doing research for my studies, I learnt a bit more about what Matariki means, which made me think further on how many crossovers there are in our day-to-day personal life and what we do to in our jobs.

 Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster and marks the celebration of the Māori New Year in New Zealand, and a time for remembrance, reflection, and planning for the future.

 The last two points being particularly poignant - reflection and planning for the future given the Associations annual conference is nearly upon us, where likeminded compliance professionals gather to learn, share, plan and implement seeds of change for the future growth of ourselves and the industry. 

 The Association is frequently questioned and challenged over what some perceive to be a more heavily weighted bias toward fire side of compliance (which is certainly not intentional), and we strive to represent and provide speakers and training on all of the other equally important Specified Systems, and we will continue to do so and advocate for our members.

 This is evidenced by the close relationship with Future Skills to create the bespoke Certificate in Building Compliance (Level 4) qualification. With the targeted focus being on specified systems, compliance schedules, inspection processes, and related legislative and administrative requirements. Speaking from experience this is an excellent course to provide accurate understanding and knowledge of why the Building Act establishes the legal obligations for buildings to comply, how the Building Code defines the outcomes around safety, health and functionality, the Compliance Scheule sets out the inspection, maintenance and reporting (IMR) procedures for each system, and why evidence of the IMR are needed and how they are relied upon.

 For those who may not be able to make the annual conference in person to attend the Annual General Meeting and would like to participate, you still can by registering and attending virtually.  Details on how to attend online will be sent out shortly.  Every registered members voice and vote is important to help shape our future.

 I'm also pleased to acknowledge all of the hard work and arm twisting that's gone on behind the scenes (Alie and others) - as Christchurch City Council has been able to arrange another opportunity for 20 conference delegates to have a look behind the scenes of One Stadium, New Zealand's newest fully covered stadium. These won't last long as the first 20 spots were gone with hours of release.

 I look forward to catching up with many of you at conference, and if not there, then throughout the coming year.

    Ngā mihi nui,

    Lyall Senior – Acting Chair, Association of Building Compliance

AN UPDATE FROM OUR CEO

Kia ora koutou katoa, 

I have been working at full steam, with our behind-the-scenes ABC elves (Rachael, Kim, and Jess), getting our final preparations done for the conference. Each year we try to bring a new level of professionalism and quality to the conference, it's not easy, and I hope we can rise to the occasion for you all. There are still some tickets left but we are almost at capacity, we have gone past the 200 attendees' mark.

As Lyall has noted, I have been working hard behind the scenes trying to get some traction for a National IQP register. We have the support of Minister Penk to drive this initiative. This is a great place to be in but there is still plenty of hard work to be done. Not everyone is sold on a national register, but I believe most want consistency and collaboration between the councils/registers so that we have one playbook that we can all play by. Together I am sure we can make this happen.

I have received many emails in regard to IQP's needing to have Professional Indemnity Insurance because they have never had to have it before. This is not an Association requirement, but it is something that was raised from our seminar on "Navigating Liability, Risk and Corporate Contracts". The landscape for IQP's and councils has changed significantly since the Mosque tragedy and the Loafers Lodge fire. The law is changing with Proportionate Liability, and we must adapt to this. I am not an expert in this field, however at our conference workshop - "IQP Liability - What do I need?", we have gathered a team of experts led by John Lucas from the Insurance Council NZ to break this down for us and give us the reasons behind this. Most people who have commented to me have mentioned the significant price increase for Insurance. This panel of experts will explain how your current Insurance companies or Brokers do not fully understand the risk and therefore over price it. The panel will also break down the risk and allay the other fears people have and that this industry is too risky for me now, armed with the appropriate training, experience and insurance advice your will de-risk yourself and they will show you it is a good place to be.

I hope to see many of our members at the conference and the Gala dinner. Join me at the "Boots'n'all Bash" at the dinner and hopefully you will join me on the dance floor for a line dance or 2.....don't laugh at my 2 left feet. 

Noho ora mai,

Trent Fearnley

29–30 July, Christchurch Town Hall

This year's conference features an outstanding programme of industry experts, engaging presentations, practical workshops, site visits, a comprehensive trade exhibition, and valuable networking opportunities. It's your chance to stay up to date with the latest developments in building compliance while connecting with colleagues and industry leaders from across the country.

Don't forget to join us for the ABC Conference Gala Dinner – Boots N All Bash, proudly sponsored by Future Skills, on Wednesday evening. With the presentation of the Future Skills Awards, live music from Mirrors Band, and prizes for the best-dressed male and female (proudly sponsored by Lift Solutions), it's set to be a fantastic evening.

If you haven't registered yet, there's still time—but don't leave it too late. We look forward to welcoming you to Christchurch for what promises to be another outstanding ABC Conference.

Be part of the conversation shaping the future of the BWoF industry and register now!

REGISTER HERE

Day 2 Workshops are now live for registrations - click below to register

We're pleased to let our in-person delegates know that we have procured a second off-site visit to One Stadium on Day 2.  Numbers are strictly limited and will fill fast! 

REGISTER HERE FOR WORKSHOPS

We are pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Building Compliance (ABC), which will take place during our annual conference in Christchurch. This year, you can participate both in person and online. Your engagement is crucial as we reflect on the past year and plan for the future.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
• Time: 11.45am
• Location: Limes Room (Plenary) Christchurch Town Hall, 86 Kilmore Street, Christchurch

Please follow the link below for AGM details, bios for the Committee candidates, and voting links.

AGM 2026 - Full details

We're delighted to welcome Slidespec as a new Association of Building Compliance Partner.

Slidespec provides specialist expertise in smoke curtain systems at every stage of a building's lifecycle. From first-principles design advice through to annual compliance inspections, their experienced team delivers tailored solutions that support safe, compliant, and high-performing buildings.

Their services include technical design and specification support, independent product sourcing and local assembly, specialist installation and commissioning, and ongoing inspection, maintenance, and Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) compliance support.

We are pleased to have Slidespec join the ABC community and look forward to working together to support excellence in building compliance across New Zealand.

Please join us in welcoming the Slidespec team to ABC.

Registrations for our 2026 Regional Forums are open year-round—don’t forget to register your attendance for the next round of sessions. These sessions are designed to encourage open discussion, strengthen connections between IQPs, councils, and industry stakeholders, and promote greater consistency and understanding across regions. 

All Forums are free to attend (CPD points and certificates for ABC members)

 Click here  to secure your spot and stay connected throughout the year! 

If there is a particular topic you’d like us to cover in future sessions—or if you would like to speak at a forum—please let us know!

If you have an outstanding invoice, we encourage you to make payment as soon as possible.  As a non-profit organisation, timely payment is important and helps us to continue delivering services and support to members. 

Invoices and payment options are available by logging in and accessing the invoice through your organisation.  If you require support, access, or wish to discuss a payment arrangement, please contact our team at accounts@abciqp.org.nz

Please note, membership and training certificates cannot be issued until payment has been received.

We are delighted to welcome our new members to the Association.  Additions to our community are exciting, and we look forward to both sharing our expertise and learning from your experiences.  We are committed to continuous improvement and development, and we believe that together, we can achieve great strides in building compliance excellence.

We are pleased to confirm that we have rolled out an ABC member specific Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Statutory Liability scheme.

The policy cover and wordings have been designed and drafted specifically for ABC members to address the specific risks that IQP’s have. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

GAIN AN NZQA ACCREDITED QUALIFICATION THAT IS UNIQUE, RELEVANT, AND INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC.

The first of its kind, this 20-week programme allows you to study while working in the field. Gain the core expertise you need to operate effectively in the building compliance environment, as an Independent Qualified Person (IQP) or Building Compliance Officer.

*** Are you an ABC member? Get 10% discount on course fees ***

Got more than one staff member wanting to do the course? Pay for 3 registration and get the 4Th free - use code ABCMEM43. they can be on different courses, just contact Helen to get more information helen.hegley@futureskills.co.nz

See the Future Skills website for more information Certificate in Building Compliance (Level 4) - Future Skills 

Fire Engineering with Future Skills

Future Skills will be delivering new qualifications in fire engineering. They will be starting in early in the New Year with the first being the Diploma in Fire Engineering. They will also be delivering Micro-credentials in Fire Engineering, starting with Building Means of Escape (Level 6). 

Micro-credentials are small, stand-alone awards that recognize specific skills and knowledge. They are designed to meet the needs of learners, employers, and industries, and are part of the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).

Want to more of what's happening in this space, read our new article here.